5 Entrepreneurs Who Are Saving the World
Not only are these smart businessmen compassionate, they also recognize the growing vegan trend. They prove that if you’ve got a vegan dream, you should follow it—and it doesn’t hurt to make a profit while you’re at it.
1. Joshua Katcher
Joshua Katcher founded the men’s lifestyle website The Discerning Brute and designs high-end vegan menswear under his Brave GentleMan label. The Discerning Brute features stories about everything from green gear and climate change to veggie food choices and banning fur—not to mention great fashion inspiration. Surf on over to The Discerning Brute‘s companion site, Brave GentleMan, to shop for custom suits, grooming products, cologne, shoes, coats, wallets, belts, and everyday outfits—all of which are 100-percent vegan.
2. Daniel Husserl
Daniel Husserl, cofounder of Aellon, a $500,000 Brooklyn furniture business, ensures that the manufacturing process doesn’t use any leather or insect-based dyes and shellacs. Plus, Aellon uses low-flush toilets and urinals as well as low-flow sinks in its office to reduce the unnecessary use of potable water.
3. John Joseph
In his edgy how-to guide, Meat Is for Pussies, John Joseph shows readers how animals are abused in the meat industry and outlines a plan for a veggie lifestyle. “Do you want to continue living like a pussy, or are you ready to take back control of your life? It’s your call,” Joseph writes.
As for his in-your-face tone, Joseph is a member of the punk band Cro-Mags. ‘Nuff said.
4. Tony Ellison
Vegetarian Tony Ellison sells environmentally friendly office supplies on his New York–based e-tailer site, Shoplet.com. “While in the process of establishing our company identity, we also hoped to transform the $250 billion Office Product Industry (OPI) into a more socially-minded industry by making green products the standard,” says Ellison.
While Ellison feared some initial resistance, the idea quickly caught on. As demand rose, eco-friendly items declined in price, creating a snowball effect of increased supply and demand.
“We are proud to say that after 19 years and counting, we, along with our 3 million plus subscribed customers, have helped save over 90,000 trees, which is equivalent to 21,000,000 lbs of CO2,” Ellison states.
5. Daniel Strong
New York vegan chef Daniel Strong is the co-owner (with his beautiful mate, Danielle Ricciardi) of the food stand Chickpea & Olive.
A former butcher, Dan had worked in kitchens all over Manhattan and was, most recently, the sous chef at Dell’Anima, an Italian trattoria in the West Village. But after Strong went vegan, he decided to strike out on his own.
Chickpea & Olive serves “phatty” beet burgers, kabocha squash toast, soups, slaws, and more.
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